The Democratic slate for the 2020 presidential race just got a little more crowded. On Friday, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced his intentions to become the 46th president of the United States. His announcement comes at the onset of Black History Month.
In a series of videos posted to his Instagram page, Booker credited his father's teachings and his humble beginnings as catalysts behind his fearless demeanor.
"My dad told me 'Boy, never forget where you came from or how many people had to sacrifice to get to where you are," he said as a montage of photos of his family flashed across the screen.
With two Black individuals and three women joining the highly contested race, this slew of candidates already makes it one of the most diverse rosters of presidential hopefuls in the country's history.
Cory signs paperwork declaring his candidacy for president, his mom Carolyn by his side. pic.twitter.com/2KUXn4nUfN
— Matt Klapper (@mattklapper) February 1, 2019
According to The Washington Post, rumors began swirling about a forthcoming presidential announcement when Booker was spotted in South Carolina over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Historically, Black voters typically influence early voting polls in The Palmetto State, per the news publication.
Even though Booker first gained notoriety as mayor of Newark, a post he held from 2006-2013, CNN writes that the Yale Law alum does not possess the name recognition like several of his fellow candidates. However, this may serve as an advantage to the 49-year-old politician as liberal voters conduct their research to determine who is the most qualified to defeat incumbent nominee President Donald Trump.
As a senator, Booker famously advocated against the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh into his position. His infamous "Spartacus" monologue ignited a bevy of responses online and from cable news commentators, who questioned the intentions behind his admission of violating Senate rules on confidentiality.
HuffPost reports Booker is committing to solely raising campaign funds from supporters for his race and will not accept any money from corporate PACs or lobbying organizations, a move that fellow candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) also promised in her presidential endeavors.
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